A survey among healthcare professionals from seven countries reported diverse nutritional practices of late preterm infants.

Abstract

To gain insight into nutritional practices and expected growth outcomes of infants born between 34 and 36 gestational weeks defined as late preterm infants (LPT). An anonymous online survey among paediatricians and neonatologists from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan was conducted from March until October 2020. The questionnaire consisted of 40 questions on the nutritional management and expected growth outcomes of LPT in and after-hospital care. Healthcare professionals from low to high Human Development (HDI) countries (n=322) and very high HDI countries (n=169) participated in the survey. Human milk was the preferred feeding, resulting in an adequate growth of LPT (weight, length and occipitofrontal circumference), according to a majority of respondents (low to high HDI, 179/265, 68% vs. very high HDI, 73/143, 51%; p=0.002). The expected growth outcome was higher after-hospital discharge. Less than half of healthcare professionals started enteral feeding during the 1st hour of life. Lactation difficulties, limited access to human milk fortifiers and donor human milk, especially among low to high HDI countries, were reported as major hurdles. Human milk is the first feeding choice for LPT. The diverse opinions on nutritional practices and expected growth outcomes among healthcare professionals indicate the necessity to develop general nutritional guidelines for LPT.